LHS boys ‘don’t have a lot to lose’

Lawrence High boys basketball coach Chris Davis knows there will be moments tonight when his team wants to pull its hair out.

Olathe South has that effect on people.

"They're as well-balanced of a team as we've faced all season," Davis said of tonight's Class 6A sub-state showdown at Topeka High. "We just have to go in there and realize there's going to be times they're going to pressure us and cause mistakes. We've just got to fight through that."

Tipoff is 5 p.m., with the winner earning a berth in next week's Class 6A state tournament in Emporia.

The fourth-seeded Lions (11-10) know the problems posed by the top-seeded Falcons (18-3). LHS played host to Olathe South in early January as part of the Sunflower League schedule and lost, 77-60.

That less-than-ideal experience makes Davis think his club can play fast and loose - knowing the most pressure will be on the opposite bench.

"I thought we had a good practice (Friday), and I think we'll enter the game the same way," Davis said. "We don't have a lot to lose."

He also pointed to two more positives.

Courtesy of a victory over Olathe North in Thursday's sub-state opener, LHS knows what it's like to possess momentum after a win - the first time the Lions have been in that position since beating that same O-North team on Valentine's Day.

Another factor is the venue.

"We have traditionally shot well and played well at Topeka High," Davis said. "We kind of feel like that's a good thing for us."